BEREA, Ohio -- Brian Hoyer was back on the field with his Cleveland Browns teammates Tuesday for the first time since he tore a knee ligament in October. More from ESPN.com Browns coach Mike Pettine would prefer not to start a rookie at quarterback, regardless of how high he's been drafted, writes Pat McManamon. Story Hoyer was limited in what he could do and did not take part in team drills, but his attitude toward the most vexing position on the Browns was clear. "Until someone tells me otherwise," he said, "I feel like I'm the starter for this team." Hoyer hurt his knee in his third start for the Browns, a Thursday night win over Buffalo. He had won his first two starts, and seemed to be grabbing hold of the starting job. But he hurt his knee when he slid and was hit by Kiko Alonso. Surgery followed two weeks later. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer got back on the field Tuesday for the first time since injuring his knee last October. Some six months later, Hoyer was active and assertive on the field, clearly acting like he belonged as the team's starter. "Assertive is a good way to describe him," tight end Jordan Cameron said. Coach Mike Pettine said Hoyer is ahead of schedule, and he expects Hoyer will be full-go for training camp, if not for the full-team minicamp in June. Hoyer is eager to do everything. "I know we don't play a game until August, but I also know that in order to be the guy in August you put the time in in the offseason," he said. Among the other quarterbacks on the team are veterans Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen, signed on a tryout basis through minicamp. Pettine said the team would likely sign one of the two after the three-day camp ends.
Browns defensive back Donte Whitner admitted he thought of legally changing his name to Donte Hitner, but too much paperwork was required. "I don't think it's a possibility," he said. "I don't want to change all my credit cards, mortgages and everything. It's a lot of paperwork for one letter." In October of 2013, while a member of the 49ers, Whitner said he was going to to remove the 'W' from his name in response to a fine from the league for a hit in a game against the Rams. Whitner, who was born and raise in Cleveland, said he's been able to tie back into the community and his former high school, Glenville, with Ted Ginn Sr. He said he's working with the Ted Ginn Foundation. He's also enjoying picking up his two children, ages 6 and 7, and taking them to and from school. "I enjoy when they ask me if one of their friends can get an autograph." Whitner also said he likes what he's seen of the Browns thus far. "I like the type of attitude we have here and are developing as a team." The two-time Pro Bowler signed with the Browns this offseason after spending three seasons in San Francisco.
It's a new day (and a new month). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, here's my candidate for "Dumbass of the Day" (The sign on the truck says, "Beachbum Tree Trimming Service")
The Morning Kickoff ? Mingo was his name-o: The name. The smile. The position. The opportunity. Yes, the planets were aligned for Barkevious Mingo, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2013 draft, to be a star as a rookie. But it was not to be. Despite a sack on his very first play ? in Baltimore against reigning Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Despite sacks in his first three games. After that auspicious beginning, Mingo had two sacks in his last 12 games, as 320-pound tackles pushed him further and further outside and Mingo failed to develop a dependable inside counter-move. Moreover, Mingo was targeted by coordinators in the running game and was victimized for some of the longest runs against the Browns? defense last year. ?We really liked Barkevious coming out of LSU a year ago,? Browns coach Mike Pettine said in March. ?He?s a guy that I think has freakish ability. But he?s got some technique things that need to get cleaned up.? Overall, Mingo?s first season came down like this ? 42 tackles, 5 sacks, 8 passes defensed. Dion Jordan, a player with a similar skill set, was taken third overall by the Miami Dolphins after a trade. Jordan?s numbers in the same categories ? 26 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 passes defensed. ?Last year, you kind of go in blind because you don?t know what to expect,? Mingo said of his rookie season. ?You listen to the veterans for advice, you take it, but at the end of the day, you don?t have any experience with it. But the second year, I think I have a better understanding of how to prepare and play well.? Weighty issue: In February, Pettine said he and his staff would push for Mingo to put on more weight. At Browns minicamp this week, it didn?t appear that that had happened. On Wednesday, Mingo smiled and laughed uncomfortably when he was asked directly if he put on weight in the offseason. ?I guess this is kind of like last year,? Mingo said. ?I?m not gonna discuss weight. I?m not gonna make this a daily thing. But I?m comfortable with where I?m at, the coaches are comfortable with where I?m at, and I?ll leave it at that. The coaches are happy.? Is too much made of his slender frame? ?Definitely,? Mingo said. ?I mean, I don?t think weight was an issue last year. Maybe you guys saw something different than what I saw last year and what our coaches saw. There?s not one size that plays well in this league. You don?t have to be 6-5, 320 to go against Joe Thomas every day and win. Because you probably won?t. You?d be too slow to win.? I tried to turn the discussion to strength, rather than weight. Draft prospects are measured by number of reps they lift 225 pounds in the bench press. Mingo did not record a bench press at the NFL Combine or at his pro day prior to the 2013 draft. I asked him if a lack of upper-body strength was apparent to him in his first NFL season. ?Like I said, at the end of the day, it?s not really strength, it?s leverage,? Mingo said. ?It?s not upper-body strength, it?s lower-body strength. We play with lower-body strength. We play with our legs, our core. We don?t play with our arms.? I will grant Mingo this much ? his legs are thicker than his upper body. But they don?t help him tackle. The sophomore leap: On a list of candidates to be ?most improved player? under the new coaching staff in 2014, Mingo would have to be near the top. Asked what the new coaches expect of him, Mingo said, ?I mean, it?s kind of understood. I was brought in last year to make plays.? Pettine said he?s ?confident? that he and defensive coordinator Jim O?Neil can get Mingo to produce like you?d expect from a No. 6 overall pick. ?Because I feel if a guy shows he can do it, even if it?s just for that one play, if he flashes that brilliance, then it?s our job to get him more consistent,? Pettine said. ?That he can do it two out of three plays, three out of four. To me, that?s coaching. We have to remove those barriers of what?s keeping him from doing it every play.? In a different context, Pettine has said that coaches can only do so much, that players have to take ownership of their own play at some point. Mingo said, ?Definitely, I have the skills to play in this league ? to be a good player.?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two of the most asked questions for Cleveland Browns fans is often about uniforms and cheerleaders. Reporter Will Burge writes on ClevelandScene.com how the Browns will have new uniforms in 2015, and get this - cheerleaders will possibly roam the sidelines the same year. The team has had meetings and started preparations to introduce a squad and is currently in the consultation phase of the process. Reached by Scene this week, the Browns declined to comment through a team spokesman. Burge adds how the Browns are currently one of six NFL teams without cheerleaders, but contrary to popular belief, the Browns did once in fact employ cheerleaders. The most recent was in 1971. And so they will have them again. Hopefully, less ridiculous. But we?ll wait for Dee Haslam?s reaction. Remember, the team?s vice president of fan experience and marketing is Kevin Griffin who came from Seattle, where he helped engineer one of the more engaging game-day experiences in the league and built goodwill with the Seahawks? fans for open communication. We all know adding cheerleaders is not a quick fix to the team's recent image problem, but it won't hurt either, writes Burge. The more your team?s name is out in front of children, the stronger their bond to that team will be. Fans need to stop seeing the Browns through a pair of rose-colored shutter shade glasses. This is not the 1980s anymore and the Browns need to build a new legacy.
Huh! I did not know that! %) I was in the service and stationed out of the area from the late 60's until the mid 70's so I didn't get to the Stadium even once. From that photograph, doesn't look like I missed much. :-*
[video]http://youtu.be/VmmdbsoxOu4[/video] Crex guess where bluez will be Saturday night *SHADES* [:} *DANCE*
I gotta show this one to me GF son . he has a tree service business . must be somewhere in the south or near Pittsburgh
I am all for some eye candy on the sidelines . they do great things for the community as well . I don't remember the Browns having cheerleaders in 71 . I was at the stadium and never saw them ?. from the looks of them that's a good thing .
